sveint (Axis) vs GeneralFerraro (Allies)

[sveint]

This will be a full AAR of my game as the Axis against GeneralFerraro. We have agreed to play out the entire game, until victory/loss.

For the first few turns I will be rather brief, just noting major decisions/incidents.

1. Sept 1939

Germany removes anti-tank and rocketry research. Add one industrial.

Italy disbands tank division.

Japan starts organizing for its assault on China

[sveint]

Italy

[John B.]

Looking forward to it!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sveint

This will be a full AAR of my game as the Axis against GeneralFerraro. We have agreed to play out the entire game, until victory/loss.

For the first few turns I will be rather brief, just noting major decisions/incidents.

1. Sept 1939

Germany removes anti-tank and rocketry research. Add one industrial.

Italy disbands tank division.

Japan starts organizing for its assault on China

warspite1

I hope you don't mind questions and comments along the way? If not can you give some reasoning behind the following decisions please?

i) Germany removes anti-tank

There was a comment on my AAR that anti-tank units aren't much cop - I guess this reinforces that view

ii) Italy disbands tank division.

In the one game I've played (and two games of the Europe version) I've noticed the Italian tank unit is pretty handy at carving through the French.

Thanks!

[sveint]

Anti-tank units are useful. However you simply cannot research everything (except perhaps the US). So it's a trade-off. In this game I'm going to ignore AT units.

The Italian tank unit is another trade-off. While useful, research or even replenishment is very costly for the weak Italian economy. I am going to focus on infantry research and units.

[GeneralFerraro]

Dear Commanders,

I'm awfully sorry I have to postpone for a week the beginning of our epic campaigns with sveint, I'm flying to California to visit family, and I won't be taking the computer (family would get mad at me if I'm playing games, ehem... instead of doing family duties [:-]).

Beginning next week, you can follow here the full AAR until the bitter, bitter end! (until victory/loss adjudicated by the game engine)

Cheers,

[sveint]

Sept. 29 1939

Poland surrenders. Diplomatic pressure on Yugoslavia begins. I've never tried to diplo-recruit Yugoslavia, and I don't want to do anything too wild since we're doing this AAR, but we'll see how this goes.

Japan is still moving troops into position. Heavy losses are suffered against Chengchow fortifications, but we have to break through!

Italy starts researching Infantry Weapons.

[sveint]

27 October 1939

The Japanese make slow but steady progress.

[sveint]

24 November 1939

French fleet is a nuisance. The entire Italian fleet is now in the Atlantic, what are they up to?

[sveint]

22 December 1939

3 German subs raid the Canada convoys. A single submarine is active in the south Atlantic, heading towards South Africa.

With clear weather over Benelux, Germany decides to invade early.

In China the weather is bad and except for the fall of Changsha, operations come to a halt.

[sveint]

19. January 1940

Bad weather pretty much brings everything to a halt. Germany secures the surrender of Belgium and the Netherlands.

[sveint]

16. February 1940

Fairly quiet month. Germany upgrades and prepares an assault on Lille. Japan makes local attacks and destroys one corps.

[sveint]

15. March 1940

The French army has grown strong. Lille stubbornly holds out. This will not be an easy fight.

The Japanese inflict heavy losses on China, taking few casualties themselves. Chengchow should fall soon.

[sveint]

12. April 1940

Massive rainfall delays the assault on France. The siege of Lille is finally successful, other than that the front-lines do not move.

Italy joins the war and assaults Lyons with some success. An Italian submarine determines that Algiers is undefended, contingency plans are immediately put into action.

[sveint]

10. May 1940

Things finally go our way in France as the weather clears and we go for a coastal flanking move with the Panzers. In worrying news though, 3 submarines are cornered off Canada, one sunk, and the other two may face the same fate.

I usually don't get much value out of the paratroopers in the French campaign, but here they serve their purpose.

In other news Yugoslavia join the Axis and Japan continues it's offensive. More on China next month.

[sveint]

7. June 1940

In a complete catastrophe we lose 2 more u-boats near Canada.

At least France is going somewhat according to plan.

[sveint]

Japan advances on all fronts, and unlike Germany seems to have fortune on it's side. A new medium bomber unit enters production.

[sveint]

5. July 1940

Fighting in France slows down as German units replenish.

[sveint]

Japan takes Ichang.

[sveint]

2. August 1940

4th Army arrives on a secret mission to North Africa. Initially planned to capture Algiers, it is diverted to Tunis.
The Italian 4th Corps walks into an ungarrisonned Algiers.